Would you think of Ta-Seti or Kush or Songhai or Nubia? Would you wonder what life was like in the kingdom of Benin or Nok or Yoruba?

Or perhaps you’ve never heard of these great African kingdoms and civilisations? If you’ve never heard of them, you’re among the vast majority.

Even though Ancient Egypt is a well known civilisation, it was not Africa’s first kingdom. Ta-Seti is possibly the oldest kingdom of Africa. Its territory encompassed what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt. Artefacts found at excavation sites include high quality jewellery, ivory and art pieces, which indicate at the wealth of the kingdom. The range of pottery found points to trade links with nearby lands and as far as one thousand miles away in the Middle East.

Mali was the second largest empire in the fourteenth century. Its land includes what is now Senegal, Gambia, Mauretania and Niger — its size is comparable to the entire Western Europe. The king who inherited the throne in 1312 launched a mission to explore the Atlantic Ocean. The expedition consists of two hundred ships filled with men and two hundred ships amply stocked with food, gold and water to last for two years. This alone gives an indication of the wealth and technology possessed by the kingdom of Mali at the time.

The great Malian king, Mansa Musa, built the Djinguerebere Mosque and 25,000 students attended the University Mosque.

Archaeological findings in what was then Carthage indicate that the streets ran at right angles and were made of beaten earth about five to seven meters wide. Carthage was a well-planned city. The houses had washing or shower rooms with water cisterns, pipes, waste water drains and floors of mosaic tiles. They had living rooms with white marble tesserae mosaics, courtyards with mosaic floors, store rooms and staircases.

This book is a real eye opener for me. People should be made aware of Africa’s rich history — even if they’re not Africans.

Most people have never heard of these great African civilisations because there is a concerted effort to bury Africa’s history. Learn more about this fascinating history and why it’s buried under the rubble of time by getting the book here.